Summer Vacations
by shasta53
Summary: Bella and Edward met on vacation as children. Now, for the first time in four years, they met again on Hilton Head island. ExB.


**Summer Vacations**

**Disclaimer: I know this will come as a shock to all of you, but I am not Stephenie Meyer and I don't own Twilight. I was shocked, too. I do, however, own this story, so please don't use it without my permission. **

**A/N: I wrote this story while I was in Hilton Head last summer on vacation, but I was in the middle of writing The Arranged Marriage and finishing up What Happens in Vegas, so it got forgotten. This year, when I arrived, I remembered it and thought I would share it with you. I hope you like it. **

**Thank you to Jenny Cullen and swimom7 for pre-reading and betaing this beast. You ladies are the lemon glaze on my poppy seed muffins. **

**EPOV**

I was nine years old the first time I met Isabella Swan.

My parents had purchased a condo on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, earlier in the year, and they decided that we all needed a two week break in the middle of the summer to enjoy it. My brother, Emmett, and I were ecstatic about two weeks at the beach and were not shy about telling anyone and everyone we met where we were going. Even the long drive did not deter our enthusiasm, and we jumped from the car as soon as we arrived, eager to hit the pool my parents had described in detail. We unloaded the car, changed into our trunks, and set off across the parking lot to the common area. Okay, we ran across the parking lot and barely had time to throw down our towels, before we were both doing cannonballs into the pool.

Upon resurfacing, we discovered that we had drenched two small girls that had been floating on rafts around the pool. The tidal waves we'd created must have upset their floating havens, because they were spitting water and brushing the hair from their faces.

"Uh, sorry," I spluttered, not sure if I really was or not. They looked pretty funny, standing there gaping at us.

The older one quirked her eyebrow at me, as if she could sense the barely there truth in my apology, and just stared at me for a long minute.

"Is that the best you've got?" she finally challenged.

"The best we've got?" Emmett guffawed. "Are you challenging us to a wave contest?"

"Maybe I am," she returned.

"You're on!" both Emmett and I accepted at once.

"I'm Isabella Swan, and this is my little sister, Alice," she said formally.

I gave her a funny look and told her I was Edward Cullen and the guy next to me was my big brother by two years, Emmett. I just didn't understand why she was doing introductions.

"Just wanted you to know the names of the girls that are going to kick your butts," she informed us as they climbed out of the pool and proceeded to jump back in, causing one of the biggest splashes I had ever seen.

For the next three hours, we jumped and laughed with each other, until our parents declared that it was time to come in for dinner.

The next morning, we met the girls at the pool and spent the day swimming together. There weren't many kids there, so I think we were all grateful to have found friends. Over the course of the two week stay, we found out a lot about each other while we swam and played on the beach.

Isabella, or Bella as she preferred to be called, and Alice were the children of the Chief of Police and a kindergarten teacher and were from some small town in Washington State. According to Alice, their mother, Renee, had complained so loudly about never taking vacations that Chief Swan had purchased a two week time share on the island, just so they could have somewhere to go. Alice was seven, only two years younger than Bella, who was turning nine in September, and definitely the more outgoing of the two, but we all became fast friends by the end of our trip.

Before we left, we agreed that when we all came back, we would leave a sign for each other at the pool, so that whoever got here first could let the others know that we were here. My Superman towel would serve as our sign, and Bella's Hello Kitty towel would be theirs. I just knew that I would see them again.

The following year, Emmett and I made sure to pack the Superman towel into my in-the-car bag so we could hang it out as soon as we arrived. Sure enough, we were the first ones there, and I nervously hung my towel over the back of a very visible chair so they would see it when they came to the pool. Emmett and I returned to the condo to unload our things and were surprised by a knock on the door.

"Oh, you must be the Bella and Alice we have heard so much about," my mom said with a little too much enthusiasm when she opened the door.

I couldn't hear their reply, as Emmett and I were both trying to muscle our way through the door at the same time to get downstairs to them.

"Hey," I greeted, and I was treated to huge smiles from both girls.

Emmett played it even cooler with a head nod. He was in middle school, so he was a little wiser in the ways of women.

"Mom, we're heading over to the pool, okay?" I told her. I made it sound like a question, but I wasn't really asking for permission.

She waved goodbye and told us to be back at seven for dinner. We all raced over to the pool and jumped in, just like we had the year before. It felt fantastic to be in the cool water with our friends again.

A couple of days into our trip, we all went to the beach. Our parents set our spots up together so they could talk while we played around them. Alice was busy building a sand castle, and Bella was lying on the blanket, reading a book, when the football Emmett and I were throwing around in the surf went off course. I went to catch it and fell right into Alice's half-finished castle. She instantly burst into tears, and Mom and Dad dragged Emmett and me off, while Chief Swan and Renee tried to calm her down.

"But Dad," I whined, when Dad suggested that Emmett and I help her rebuild it. "It was only a bunch of buckets of sand!"

"Yes, I know," he replied knowlingly. "But that's what men do, Edward. We help fix things when they are broken, especially when we break them. And one day, I think you will be glad you did."

I rolled my eyes, but trudged over to the ruined pile of sand and spent the next two hours helping Alice and Bella construct the best castle on the beach. Bella and I were rinsing the buckets in the surf when we were finished, and she caught my arm before I walked back to the blanket.

"Hey, Edward," she said quietly. "Thank you for helping us with the sandcastle. It really meant a lot to Alice and me."

"You're welcome," I said with a shrug, but my heart was beating uncomfortably in my chest. I gave her my best smile and tugged the buckets out of her hands. She chased me back to the blankets, and we fell into a heap on the sand, laughing.

The best memories of my childhood were during those two weeks in Hilton Head every summer. I never spoke to Bella and Alice once we left, but all four of us looked forward to those two weeks every year that we got to spend together.

Emmett stopped spending as much time with us as he got older. He spent his hours chatting up the teenage girls that lay out on their chairs by the pool but never got in the water. At thirteen, I didn't understand what was so fascinating about them, but by the time I turned fourteen, I understood completely. The girls by the pool didn't capture my attention, though.

The only girl I could see was Bella.

She had developed some over the last year, but she was still in the awkward pre-teen girl phase. Her long brown hair still hung in waves over her shoulders, and her big brown eyes sparkled with fun and mischief. I tried to ignore the way she looked in the little yellow bikini, because she was my friend, but everything about her drew me in.

By this point, we were all so familiar with each other that we came and went between the two condos like we were all one happy family. Chief Swan and Renee never batted an eye when Emmett and I rushed in for lunch or to watch a movie after dinner. In some ways, Alice and Bella were my best friends. They never expected me to be someone else. I didn't have to be the jock baseball player that I was at home, and when I used big words, I wasn't met with a round of dumb stares and uncomfortable laughter.

I guess in hindsight, it was only natural that Bella would be the first girl I kissed. I had just turned fifteen, and we were sitting in the hot tub one night, talking about our lives at home. Alice was watching some movie on the Disney Channel, and Emmett had taken the car to the store—any excuse to drive the car would do. I remember that she looked so beautiful in the moonlight with the water shimmering beneath her, and when I finally got the nerve to do it, her lips felt so soft and perfect underneath mine. That kiss still ranked in my best of all time.

Our relationship changed after that. I was maturing, and so was she, I suppose. The next summer, I got to second base in that same hot tub. I still recall her breasts as being the perfect fit for my hands and the small moans I got when I touched them. We still goofed around in the pool and at the beach, but teenagers play differently than nine year olds do, and we had changed, as well.

The fact that I looked forward to seeing her never did.

After my first year of college, I had declared a major of pre-med and had my first really serious girlfriend. Mom and Dad encouraged me to bring Kate with me to Hilton Head that year. I couldn't really think of a reason not to, other than I didn't want to bring another girl into the world where for two weeks, only Bella existed. Bella apparently found denying her mother difficult, as well, because she brought her boyfriend, Michael, with her. He was your All-American boy next door, and I hated him with a passion. Every time he touched her or held her, I cringed. The only small comfort I got was that Bella seemed to be cringing, too. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. That was the last time I brought my significant others with me.

The next year, I brought Jasper, my roommate. He was a tall, lanky fellow, with a deep Texas accent that he couldn't seem to shake, no matter how much time he spent in Chicago. The Superman towel, worn with age, made its reappearance on the back of a chaise lounge, and within hours, Bella and Alice were knocking on our door.

"You still have it, I see," Bella quipped, holding up the towel.

"But of course!" I gasped, pretending to be offended that she would suggest otherwise.

We hugged, and I stepped aside so that she and Alice could enter. Alice, however, was already staring at Jasper.

"You've kept me waiting a long time," she practically whispered.

Bella and I just looked at each other with eyebrows raised. I mean, I loved Alice and she had always been a little weird, but this was odd, even for her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Jasper replied with his characteristic drawl and a duck of his head.

Alice walked forward and grabbed his hand. "Let's go to the pool."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and they walked right out the door without another glance at either of us.

From that day forward, I got to hear a lot about Bella outside of our two weeks in the summer, because Alice and Jasper began dating. Alice even transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago to be closer to him. Meanwhile, I spent every waking moment preparing for medical school and dating Tanya Hurst. She was tall, blonde and gorgeous, but a bit of an airhead. When it was time to go to Hilton Head that year, Alice told me that Bella had gotten an internship at a prestigious publishing house and wouldn't be able to go. I conveniently scheduled my interviews during that time, so I wouldn't have to think about the girl that wouldn't be there.

Jasper and I drifted apart during my senior year, since I was living in off campus housing and studying my ass off. My acceptance to Johns Hopkins depended on my grades remaining high. Tanya decided she could no longer play second fiddle to my studies and left. I wasn't sorry to see her go. Truthfully, when I woke up next to her in the morning, she was never the girl I had been dreaming about. I did, however, make it into Johns Hopkins, and I resolved to make the best of my two week vacation before I was too busy to enjoy anything. I was looking forward to seeing Bella, too. It had been far too long.

Except Bella wasn't there when we arrived. Alice and Jasper were lounging in the hot tub, whispering private words to each other, but Bella was nowhere to be found. When I finally asked Alice about it, she made a horrendous face and revealed that Bella's new boyfriend wouldn't let her come. Later, Jasper shared his concerns with me that James, the douchebag, was a controlling asshole and that Bella was afraid of him. She never said as much to Alice, but that was Jasper's impression.

They did arrive midway through our second week, and he never left her side. She tried to talk to me, but he dragged her away before she had a chance. She also had taken to wearing a T-shirt over her bathing suit. Part of me wondered if James required it, or if she was trying to hide something. I never found out, and I haven't seen her since he shoved her into the car and drove away. The tears in her eyes as she waved have never ceased to haunt me. I tried to tell her with my eyes that she deserved better, but I wasn't sure if she got the message, even though I prayed that she did.

And today, for the first time in four years, I was finally going back to Hilton Head Island. Medical school was behind me, and my medical residency in Seattle awaited. Emmett and his new girlfriend, Rosalie, were coming, and Mom and Dad would join us later. As I packed the now tattered Superman towel, I wondered if there would be any need to use it, and I prayed that there was. Four years was too long to go without seeing one of my best friends.

**BPOV**

My fondest memories of my childhood are of the summers we spent on Hilton Head Island. It was the one time of year that I really got to see my dad let go and have fun. Not that he wasn't a great dad all of the time, but as Chief of Police, he worked a lot. I mean, there were only three other officers.

And then there was Edward. We met the summer before I turned nine, and he quickly became the reason I looked forward to summer so much.

We spent so many summers having splashing contests, dunking each other in the pool, and playing endless games of Marco Polo. I could remember Edward helping Alice and me build a sandcastle one year, but I no longer remembered why. I only knew that he hated building sandcastles and that it was the only time he ever did. Most of the time, he and Emmett played football or Frisbee on the beach, or body surfed in the ocean. I grew to appreciate that as we got older, and I could stare at his awesome body without him knowing. And he always thought I just liked to read a lot . . .

It was the summer before I started high school, though, that my thoughts about him began to change, and when he kissed me . . . Holy crow! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. His lips were soft and moved with mine, just like they were made to. I accused him of having a lot of practice, before he confessed that I had just given him his first kiss. I often wondered how I'd gotten so lucky. Later, when Mike Newton kissed me after the homecoming dance, I compared it to Edward's kiss. It fell far short in comparison. Really, all of them did. Just like all of their hands paled in comparison to his on my body.

Edward was forever etched in my memory, which was odd, since we only saw each other for two weeks out of every year. He was my best friend and the guy I measured all others against, somewhat unconsciously. Once Alice and Jasper started dating, I did get more regular updates on his life. I had to stop asking, though, when Alice told me about the girl he was getting serious with. I was dating, too, of course, but the thought of him with the strawberry blonde socialite was more than I could stand. Had I entertained fantasies of us over the years? Yes, but there was no way he would settle for someone like me, when he had someone like her.

And maybe that was part of the reason that I settled for James. In the beginning, he was charming, but he grew cold and controlling. More than once, I found bruises on my forearms from where he dragged me away from my friends to spend time with him and only him. He also didn't understand the words "No" and "I'm not in the mood." I could feel my willpower being eaten away at bit by bit. The stronger part of me screamed out to take back my life, but he had taken so much away from me, I had no idea how to do that. I was so insistent on going to Hilton Head after I graduated, and he was adamant that I would not be going without him. In the end, I dragged him with me. It was the best mistake I ever made.

After we returned home from the three days he allowed me to spend with my family and childhood friends, James demanded that I move to Phoenix with him. I refused, and he punched me for my defiance. Edward's worried gaze flashed through my mind, and all of the self-defense classes Dad had insisted upon kicked in. Turned out, James was a typical bully. He could dish it out, but he couldn't take the heat. I blackened his eye and ensured that his future offspring would be difficult to conceive.

Edward never returned to Hilton Head after that. I went back and got my Masters in Education, before becoming a middle school English teacher. The kids, as a whole, were a nightmare, but I enjoyed catching them before they were too cool to read. Getting to know each of them and fostering their love of literature was the best part of my job. This past school year had been particularly heinous, and I really needed the break. There was a part of me that was really hoping for Edward and Emmett to be there. Even if I was the seventh wheel when Alice and Jasper arrived, I needed some friends that knew the real me, and when I reflected on it, they were really the only ones that did. That part of me carefully packed the threadbare and careworn towel that I had treasured for fourteen years.

The pool was empty when I arrived at the condo, and most of the guests had not yet arrived. I settled my clothes into the bedroom that became mine when Jasper started coming with us regularly and strolled over to the common area. I tried not to look over at the Cullen's condo, but I couldn't resist the temptation. My heart sank a little when I noticed the spaces in front of it were still empty.

Just as I had every year, I hung Hello Kitty over the back of the chair and plunged into the water. It was a little cooler than I was used to, but it washed away the grime and filth from my very, very long road trip. For awhile, I floated, enjoying the heat of the sun on my face and letting the tension, or at least some of it, drain from my body. A wall of water cascaded over me, and I stood, spluttering and looking around for the source of the splash.

A couple of kids and their parents had joined me in the pool. The one who had splashed me was a little boy of about six. His dad was pulling around his little sister in a float in the shallow end, while his mother sprayed on sunscreen on the deck. I smiled wistfully in remembrance of simpler times and in longing for my own family one day. After his second jump, I recognized that my solitary relaxation had come to an end, and I began swimming laps around the pool.

While I swam, I planned. I had spent the last four days thinking about my life, and I just wanted to relax, especially if I was going to be alone. I resolved to get out of the pool and go to the grocery store. I was going to buy some food and some ice cream. Then, I was going to go to Blockbuster and rent a funny movie. This decided, I stood in the semi-shallow water and started towards the ladder.

I stopped and stared. There, next to my pool chair, was the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on-and I hadn't even seen his face yet. His body was chiseled to a fine perfection and there was a definite "V" underneath the six pack of abs that dipped below the board shorts on his hips. His arms were toned and defined, and I thought I was probably drooling at this point. His head was turned toward the back of my chair, and his long fingers trailed over the fabric of my "Bat signal."

When he turned toward the pool, there was no mistaking the shock of reddish, brownish, blondish hair that stood in disarray over his perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Green eyes searched the pool and landed on my face, just as I gasped in recognition.

"Edward?" I cried.

"Bella?" His voice was full of wonder.

I sped my movements to the side of the pool, but the water slowed my progress.

"No, don't get out!" he shouted, and then cannonballed right into the pool. When he finally resurfaced, he swam directly to me. "I needed to cool off. It's been a long drive. You look amazing!"

"So do you! I wasn't sure if you were coming this year," I told him.

He cocked his head to the side. "Is it a bad thing that I did?"

"God, no! I am so glad to see you!"

I jumped toward him, and those strong arms caught me around the waist. He hugged me tightly and reluctantly loosened his hold. I saw the gleam in his eye a second too late, though, and found myself hurtling toward the water.

"Edward!" I shouted when I came back up.

He was laughing, and damn, if he wasn't already more beautiful than he had been a minute ago.

I ducked back under the water and tried in vain to take out his legs. Just like that, our dunking wars from years past resumed, and we rough-housed until the pool filled with much smaller people. We both hopped out and walked over to the chair I had claimed. I quickly dried off with my newer striped beach towel and wrapped it around my body.

"What, Hello Kitty can't get the job done anymore?" he teased as he toweled off with his own large towel.

"She stopped being effective about ten years ago." I laughed and spied the small bundle beside Edward's sunglasses. "Kind of like Superman, I see."

"I just couldn't bear to part with him!" he exclaimed. "So, are Alice, the Chief, and Renee already here?"

"No, Alice and Jasper are coming down on Tuesday. Mom and Dad can't come this year," I said sadly.

He instantly picked up on my tone. "What happened, Bella?"

I shook my head and pulled up all of my courage. "Can we talk about it over dinner?"

"You cooking? Because, I'll warn you, I'm hopeless." He laughed, but I could still see the concern in his eyes.

"Sure. How many am I cooking for?" I answered, attempting to pretend that his answer really didn't matter to me. After all these years, I was still drawn to this boy—now fully grown man—beside me.

He placed his hand on my arm and tilted my face up to look at his. "There's only me," he whispered softly.

"Do you mind going to the store with me?" I asked, hope blossoming in my chest.

"Not at all." He smirked and held out his hand to me.

We both gathered our stuff and practically ran across the parking lot to our condos.

**EPOV**

It couldn't be.

There was no way.

I had to be imagining the Hello Kitty towel draped across that chair. It felt real, and there was no way it could be anyone else's. Hell, I wasn't sure it could actually dry anything anymore. My eyes scanned the pool and fell across the most beautiful woman. She was standing in the water, staring at me, and it gave me time to do the same. The long brown hair, heart shaped face, gorgeous body . . . It had to be Bella. I had dreamed of her soft, creamy skin often enough. Finally, she met my eyes, and I was done. I knew why all my other relationships had failed. None of them compared to her.

_I sound like a girl. _

To restore my manhood, I cannonballed right into the pool to drench her with the wave. Then, she threw herself at me. I did my best to keep my lower half away from her, because it just wouldn't do for her to feel _that_ minutes after seeing me again for the first time in four years. So, I dunked her.

The familiar was easy. The stirrings I felt for her weren't.

When we were drying off, I tried to casually inquire as to who all was here with her, and there was something in the way that she said her parents were not coming that told me something had happened. She asked if it could be delayed until dinner, and I felt like I had just been asked out on a date.

"Sure. How many am I cooking for?" I heard the hope behind her question, and I knew it because I felt the same emotion. The faux nonchalance might have worked if she hadn't been boring a hole in the ground with her eyes and gnawing on her lip.

I lifted her face with my fingers and told her that it was just me. She relaxed into my touch immediately and asked if I would help her shop for the food. I would have gone anywhere with her at that moment, and I almost sacrificed my man card to tell her so.

I rarely dressed that quickly. Luckily, everyone around here was ultra casual, so the khaki shorts, T-shirt, and sandals I put on would not be out of place anywhere. Before I could register my over-eagerness, I was standing in front of her door and knocking like I had so many times before.

"You're here," she said breathlessly, a huge smile on her face, when she opened the door seconds later. She had opted for something even more simple than I had, and the knit cotton dress she wore flowed down to her flip-flop clad feet.

"Uh, yeah. I can wait if you're not ready." I stumbled over my words like a jackass. I had known this woman for fourteen years. One would think I could speak in coherent sentences.

"No, it's fine. Your car or mine?" She at least sounded more put together than I did.

"I'll drive. You just tell me where you want to go."

She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "Publix is fine. It's the best grocery store on the island, at least."

I remembered from the many trips that my mother had sent Emmett and I on once we got older that the closest Publix was off Pope Avenue, and I headed in that direction.

"So, what's for dinner, chef?" I asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood and take both our minds off of whatever was going on in her family.

"Um, I don't know. What do you want?" She laughed.

"I don't know. I'm not cooking!" I laughed again. "What were you planning to make before I showed up?"

She wrinkled her nose again. "I'm not really sure. The only thing I had settled on was ice cream and a funny movie."

"Blockbuster is just down the street," I offered.

She giggled. "Got that, genius. I've been here in the last four years, and there's not a lot to do."

"Oh, there's plenty to do! There's the, uh, outlet mall and the, uh, beach. Is that pottery place still around in Coligny?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah, they're under new ownership now, though. We'll have to do that this week."

"Perfect!" I was just happy that she wanted to make plans that included me. I wasn't sure what I would have done if she hadn't.

"So, now that we have determined that the activities in the area consist of painting, shopping, and tanning, what do you want to eat?" she teased.

"Steak? Chicken? What's easy?" I asked, baffled.

"Can you use the grill by the pool?"

I nodded dumbly.

"Barbeque chicken it is, then," she decided. "I'll make some veggies. Wait, do you still not eat green things?"

I laughed, amused that she remembered my teenaged rebellion. Mom was always insistent that we eat all of our vegetables, and I'd decided not to eat anything green. It made for a few interesting years. "No, I've gotten past it. It wouldn't do to tell my patients to eat it if I wouldn't."

"Patients?" she asked.

"I start my medical residency this fall. I want to go into cardiology, I think." I hopped out of the car and made it over to her door as she stepped out. Unable to stop myself, I linked my fingers with hers and pulled her along.

Our trip to the grocery turned into more than just getting food for one night. We chatted about what we liked to eat for every meal and ended up with two carts of food, ostensibly for the two weeks we were going to be here.

When we finally made it back home, with three movies to choose from, we were both starving. I grabbed the chicken and made straight for the grill, while Bella heated up some green beans from a can and made some Rice-A-Roni.

We chose to eat in front of the television, and Bella picked the first movie. She surprised me by putting in "Happy Gilmore" and lamenting that Blockbuster hadn't had a better selection of good Adam Sandler movies to choose from.

The food disappeared quickly, and I cleaned up the dishes. When I came back from the kitchen, Bella was sitting in the middle of the couch. I paused. I could sit in one of two chairs, or I could sit next to her on either end of the couch. Could I sit next to her and not touch her? I didn't think I would be able to, but the invitation seemed clear. I took it.

Halfway through the movie, my leg brushed Bella's side, and she jumped. I had forgotten how ticklish she was, and I launched a full assault. She writhed against me, and my dick took notice. So did Bella. We both stopped instantly, and she tilted her head back to look at me. Our eyes met, and hers were searching mine for something. I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers as I had wanted to do for so long.

They were as soft and sweet as they had been ten years before, and there was no resistance in her. Her lips molded to mine, and they moved together. Cautiously, I ran my tongue along her bottom lip, asking for permission this time, and her lips parted, giving me entrance.

From there, the passion exploded. She twisted in my arms, and I scooted down on the couch so that we could lie together more comfortably. Her hands tugged at my unruly hair and mine held her to me. She pulled back to take a deeper breath, and we were both panting. Her hands moved to my shirt, and she tugged at the hem. I held my arms over my head so that she could pull it off, and it fell somewhere near the coffee table.

Her dress had ridden up, and she was practically straddling me. I bunched up the fabric and pulled it off before I could second guess myself. And shit, she wasn't wearing a bra.

There was one thing that women often miss about men, and that was that we were amazed by boobs. I don't know why, but they were fascinating to us. Bella's were just there in front of me unexpectedly, and all I could do was stare at them. They were absolutely perfect. Her nipples were a dusky rose and had pebbled in the air conditioning. I saw her hands moving in my peripheral vision to cover them, but I stopped her by leaning forward and capturing one in my mouth. My hand came up to play with the other one, while I suckled and nibbled. I must have been doing something right, because Bella's head was thrown back, and she was moaning softly.

"Edward?" she whispered. "Can we . . .?"

I lifted her easily in my arms—she couldn't have weighed more than 115 pounds soaking wet—and stood shakily from the couch. "Where?"

She pointed to the ground floor room, a mirror image of the one I was staying in next door, and I moved swiftly towards it. I set Bella on the mattress and returned to the main room to make sure that the door was locked.

When I returned, she still sat where I had placed her, and she looked nervous.

"Bella, if you don't—" I began, but she cut me off.

"No, Edward, I do. I'm just, well, I didn't think it would go like this," she stuttered.

I stretched out on the bed and pulled her up to me, holding her body tightly against mine. "Like what, Bell? What can I give you to make this perfect for you?" I ran my arms over her shoulders and down her arms.

She hung her head and mumbled something I didn't catch.

"What was that?"

She tried to shake her head, but I stopped her.

"What, Bell?"

"You, all right?" she said, clearly embarrassed. "There is nothing other than _you_ that you can give me to make this perfect for me."

I smiled at her and kissed her again as deeply as I dared. Quickly, I shed my shorts and pulled the covers out from underneath us. I trailed my arms over her rib cage and ran them lightly over her breasts. When her nipples pebbled underneath my touch, I couldn't help grabbing one and squeezing gently. I continued to massage her breast, while I trailed the other hand lower. Bella's mouth met mine in a fiery kiss, and I slipped my fingers between her almost bare lips.

"Oh, Jesus," I breathed.

She was so wet and so warm. I couldn't resist slipping my fingers inside her. She moaned and bucked into my hand as I did. Slowly, I pumped in and out of her with my fingers, taking care to focus on all of her.

It was my turn to groan when her small hand surrounded my cock and began pumping me in rhythm with my hand thrusts. We weren't in a great position for hand jobs, but damn, if I didn't want to have her hands permanently on me after only feeling them for a few seconds.

She changed my mind moments later when she pulled away from me and forced me onto my back.

"Bella, what is it?" I asked, fearful that I had gone farther than she was willing.

"I want you," she murmured huskily, and I got even harder at the sound.

"Then come and get me," I challenged.

And she did. In one swift movement, Bella lifted herself into my lap and plunged onto my aching dick. I had to grab onto her hips as she sank over me to keep her from moving, as I was pretty sure the evening was about to end right then.

As soon as I had recovered some of my senses, I loosened my grip, and she began to rock over me. It was enough to drive me insane. Fortunately, the position allowed me to fondle her breasts and pepper her neck and shoulders with kisses. Her skin was sweet and slightly salty from the sheen of sweat that now covered it.

"Oh, Edward," she whimpered as her walls began to flutter around me.

I shifted my hips up and into her as hard as I could, and her eyes rolled back in her head as her orgasm hit her. Mine wasn't far behind.

Bella collapsed against my chest, and her fingers played with my hair. We kissed softly as the remainder of the day slipped away, before I fell asleep, cradling her in my arms.

When I woke the next morning, an unfamiliar scent assailed my nostrils, and I breathed it in deeply. Immediately, my eyes sprang open, and all of the memories of the night before came rushing back.

_Holy shit! I had sex with Bella!_

She was still sleeping peacefully, so I took a few minutes to observe her and think about what had happened. Her face bore none of the subtle lines I had noticed during the day, and I wondered if whatever the situation was with her parents had put them there. I tucked her in closer to my body and burrowed into the comfort her presence provided.

I decided that it had been for the best that Bella and I had never taken this step when we were younger, no matter how much I had wanted to. She would have forever ruined me for other women. As it was, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be satisfied now.

I ran my hands through her hair gently, just reveling in the feeling of having her here after so long. I wondered what would come next, but before I could sink into my broody mood, as Emmett called it, Bella's eyes fluttered open and met mine.

"Hi," she mumbled.

"Good morning," I said softly back, not sure why we were being so quiet. We were the only two people in the entire building.

She tried to shift out of bed and away from me, but I caught her and pulled her back.

"And just where do you think you're going?" I teased her, starting to tickle her again.

"Oh! Ah! You've got to stop," she laughed. "I have to pee!"

I let go at once, and she bounded for the bathroom. She didn't have to go far, as the door was right next to the bed. I leaned against the pillows and waited for her to finish.

"Well," she groaned, as she crawled, still naked, back under the covers. "That was mortifying. Nothing like peeing in front of your guy to up the romance!"

I laughed and hopped out of bed. "I hope you don't mind too much, because I have to go, too!"

We were both still chucking at ourselves when I crawled beneath the covers a moment later. I kissed her fully, despite her morning breath protests, and we snuggled together in the early morning light.

"Hey, baby," I said. "You said yesterday that your parents weren't coming this year. What happened?"

Bella stiffened slightly beside me, but I pulled her even closer, and she melted back into me. "Dad had to take his vacation early this year. In February, he got shot on the job and had to take a few weeks off. Drove Mom crazy. They got his right side, so he couldn't even fish."

Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't that. "Oh, my God. What happened?"

"Some asshole from down on the local reservation got drunk and decided that he needed more beer. He didn't have any more money, so he thought he would just take some with his shotgun. Dad responded to the call and got shot for his pains."

"Is he okay?" I asked with concern.

"He is now, but it was hard for about a month. I was too far away to do anything, and Alice is in Chicago," she responded.

My heart sank. Part of me was hoping that she was still in Washington, since I was moving there, but I just didn't have that kind of luck.

"Are you not still in Washington?" I asked, trying to disguise my disappointment.

"Oh, I am, but Seattle is about three and half hours from Forks. It's close enough that I can go home occasionally, but not so close that I could be there for my parents," she explained.

I'd really only heard the first part. "You live in Seattle?"

"Yes? Why?" she asked warily.

"Oh, no reason," I said with a wide grin. "It will just be nice to know someone when I get there next month."

Bella's eyes grew wide, and a grin lit up her face. "Really? You're moving to Seattle?"

I nodded, and she launched herself at me again. This time, we wasted no time in celebrating like we both wanted to.

After we were both physically spent, Bella climbed carefully out of bed and threw on her bathing suit cover up. I pulled on my boxers and we went into the kitchen to make some breakfast. I was all for cereal, but Bella had other ideas and made pancakes.

While we ate, we talked about our lives for the past few years and what we had been up to. The wonderful thing about being such old friends was that nothing was off limits. I warned her about Rosalie, Emmett's new girlfriend, and she cautioned me not to blow Jasper's planned proposal. I was really happy for them, and I told her so.

The best part was that we had nowhere to be and nothing that we had to do. Once we finished breakfast, we changed and met back over at the pool. This time, though, I found it hard to keep my hands off of her beautiful body, and we spent a lot of time just floating around in each other's arms. An older woman that looked vaguely familiar shook her head at us as she walked by, and I stared after her, dumbfounded. Surely there was nothing wrong with a little affection on vacation.

Bella slapped me on the shoulder. "Quit it, dumbass! Don't you remember Mrs. Crabtree?"

"Crazy Crabtree?" I gasped. The woman had tormented us kids to no end with her insistence that the pool was not for playing in.

"Yes! Now quit staring at her! She's liable to . . ."

But what she was liable to do, I never found out, because I found out what she actually did.

Irina Crabtree stepped carefully into the pool and genteelly walked towards us through the water. When she reached us, she grabbed one of each of our ears and dragged us away from the other patrons.

"Now, you listen here, kids. This is a family pool, and there is no room for this lovey-dovey behavior here. What would your parents say? I don't think the Chief and the good Doctor would approve!"

Shit! She remembered us! Bella's eyes met mine, and we both doubled over in laughter.

"I see nothing funny about this!" Crazy Crabtree cawed indignantly.

"It's just, you know," I stumbled through my guffaws.

"You never let us do anything in the pool, Mrs. Crabtree!" Bella wailed with laughter.

That made me laugh even harder, and even Mrs. Crabtree broke a smile. "I always knew you two would end up here," she said smugly. She checked my hand, not so discreetly. "When's the wedding?"

"Uh, we're not, you see, there is no . . ." I stuttered again.

"Boy, you are going to have to work on those nerves! She's never going to get the proposal at this rate!"

Bella was just smirking at me from behind the old woman and made a motion like "that's what she said!"

"Marry me, Bella?" I asked with a smirk.

"I, you, what?" she asked.

"Come on, girl! Don't play deaf. The boy finally got the courage to ask!" Mrs. Crabtree joined in.

"You are so getting it later, Cullen," Bella threatened. "But sure, why the hell not!"

I recognized her dismissal for what it was, and though it was what it should have been, her semi-rejection stung. Mrs. Crabtree huffed and trotted away, and I dunked under the water to clear my head.

Bella was watching me strangely when I resurfaced, and I gave her a half-hearted grin. I didn't really think we were ready for that, but it hurt to have it batted at so casually. Did she not ever want that future with me?

"Come on, Cullen," she said softly. "Let's go make some lunch."

We worked in silence in her kitchen. I was tempted to go back to my condo for awhile, but all the food was in hers, and I was starving. We sat on the floor by the coffee table, as we were still wet, and munched in silence. I cast about for something to talk about and landed on . . . relationships.

"So, serious relationships? Have you been in one before? Are you in one now?" I rambled.

She choked a little on her food, but took a drink of water to compose herself. "Um, none really. There was James, but he was an asshat. I've never been engaged before, though. This is new."

It was my turn to cough on the drink I had just taken. Did she just say engaged? I decided to side step that for the moment. "James. Was he the bastard that was beating on you?"

"Yes," she admitted quietly. "Did you know that you gave me the strength to fight back?"

"I did?" I asked, surprised. "How so?"

"The first time he really hit me, I saw your face and fought back. It was after our trip here that year. He wanted me to move, and I didn't want to, so I didn't," she said nonchalantly.

"I'm proud of you. I was really worried, you know?" I told her.

"I know. I saw it in your face. That's what gave me the strength to leave. I knew there was someone out there that cared about me for who I was and always would, no matter how many years went by." Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I do, you know. I always have, and I always will." I hugged her tightly, and she sniffled into my chest.

For the first time in my life, I understood how my father could have proposed to my mother after two weeks and how they could still be happily married to this day. It had only taken me fourteen years to get here, but I finally got it.

"I meant it, you know," I whispered, steeling myself against the inevitable rejection.

"Which thing?" she asked.

"That part about wanting to spend my life with you. Will it go better if I get a ring first?" I teased, sort of.

She pulled back and searched my face. "Edward, it's been less than a day. Are you serious?"

"No, Bella, it's been years. Just because we were too blind to see it then, it all looks pretty clear now. And if you don't want to say yes, now, that's okay. I'll just keep asking until you do." I flashed her a crooked smile.

"Damn, I think you just ruined Jasper's proposal," she whispered.

"Eh, we met here first. It's only fair. Are you going to answer me, or do I have to wait all day?" I questioned casually.

"Oh, I thought I already did. I said yes, didn't I?"

"Actually, you said 'why the hell not?' but it could be interpreted that way."

"Don't be an ass. I guess we need to go ring shopping then, huh?" she asked.

"Can we wait a couple of days?" I asked. An idea had just occurred to me, though I had no idea how I was going to pull it off.

"Sure," she agreed. "Let's go down to the beach this afternoon."

That night, after spending the afternoon at the beach, I put some stuff away in my condo, while Bella made dinner in hers, and I called my dad.

"Hey, Dad, I have a favor to ask."

"_Sure, son. What can I do for you?"_

"I put Grandma's ring in the safe. Can you slip it into your luggage without Mom seeing it?"

"_Um, I think so. What's going on?"_ he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. So you all will be here Wednesday, right?"

"_Yes. We'll call from Atlanta. You don't mind picking us up at the airport, do you?"_

"Nope, see you then!"

I strolled back to Bella's with a wide grin on my face.

**BPOV**

I wasn't sure what dream world I was living in, but it was surreal. The man that I had fantasized about forever had made like three dreams come true in one day. He'd kissed me again, he'd made love to me twice, and then he'd asked me to marry him. I was sure that at some point, the cosmos would point at me and tell me it was all a joke, but I was going to roll with it while I could.

Edward and I had spent the most amazing three days together. Truthfully, we didn't actually do much but get to know each other again, but it was great. I knew that Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie would be intruding on our bubble sometime the next day, and I was eager to enjoy our last night alone.

Since Mom and Dad would not be joining us, I felt free to run a bubble bath in their Jacuzzi tub and light some candles all around the bathroom. Edward called to me from downstairs after cleaning up his condo, and I asked him to join me.

As soon as he walked in the bathroom, I let the bathing suit cover up that I was using as a robe fall from my shoulders and stepped into the tub. Edward just stared at me, dumbfounded. I held my hand out to him, and it seemed to shake him from his reverie. He hastily removed all of his clothes and settled behind me in the water. For awhile, we just talked, as we had done all week, and Edward ran his hands lightly over my arms and legs.

"So, when are you moving?" I asked out of curiosity.

"The week after we get back. I figured I would have time to pack up my life in Chicago and move it across the country. I start my residency on August first, and I still need to find a place to live permanently," he responded wearily, as if just the thought of what all he had to do made him tired.

"Where are you staying?"

"I know a couple of people from the hospital, and they are letting me stay with them until I find my own place."

"Hmm, shouldn't I have any say on this place you are finding?" I teased. I didn't truly think he was serious in his proposal, but I was hoping that we could continue this . . . whatever this was, when we got back to Seattle.

"If you want to," he mused. My heart sank as I realized what that meant. But then, he continued, "I wasn't planning on getting something with a long term lease, you know. I figured you would want a house to move into after the wedding. Or before, whatever. I just know that isn't a process you can rush or do in a few days."

"You want to buy a house with me?" I asked incredulously.

Edward groaned. "Jesus Christ, woman! I asked you to marry me, for God's sake! And now you want to know if I really want to buy a house with you? No, Bella, marriage is one thing, but a house . . . that's just too much commitment," he retorted sarcastically.

I blushed and ducked my head. "I just didn't really think . . . I mean I thought you were just doing it for Mrs. Crabtree."

Edward lifted my head back up. "No, I asked because _I_ wanted to. She just gave me a time and a place to do it. I've loved you since I was ten years old and compared every woman in my life to you without realizing it." He hesitated and searched my face. "Do you not want to, Bella? I don't want you to feel obligated or . . ."

I cut him off by pressing my finger to his lips. "I said yes, and I meant it."

He leaned over and kissed me forcefully, expelling all his worries and his fear. His hands gripped me harder, and I struggled to turn around in the water. I had never been especially graceful, and the tangle of limbs in the tub made the job considerably more difficult. We broke our kiss when I accidentally head butted him, and we both leaned back, laughing.

"Let's take this back downstairs," Edward suggested. "The water is getting cold anyway."

Edward hit the drain for the tub and helped me out of it. We wrapped ourselves in the minuscule towels provided by the management company and walked together down the stairs. Night had fallen, and we could hear the crickets and frogs from the pond off the balcony. I glanced at the back door and stopped Edward from pulling me to the bedroom.

"Do you want to walk down to the beach?"

He paused and deliberated. "I'll go if you want to," he said hesitantly.

"But you don't want to?" I clarified.

"Not really. It's almost eleven, I'm tired, and I want you before we fall asleep. If we go down the beach, that is not going to happen," he told me with a slight chuckle. "But if that's what you really want to do tonight, I will accompany you."

I laughed at his formality, and it struck me that I had laughed more in the last three days than I had in years. He truly made me happy. "Take me to bed or lose me forever," I said with an unspoken challenge.

He met it with a twinkle in his eye. "Show me the way home, honey!"

The next morning, I awoke to a strange sound in the condo. It sounded like very quiet voices, and I wondered if Emmett and Rosalie had arrived already next door. The clock showed that it was not quite ten o'clock yet, but I was still tired from our activities the night before.

Up to that point, our love-making had been slow and gentle, for the most part. I enjoyed that immensely. But last night, Edward hadn't been in the mood for making love. We'd fucked, and it had been rough and messy and awesome. We'd experimented with all kinds of positions. He'd wrapped my ankles around his neck while he thrust into me, and then flipped me over to pound into me from behind. It was a good thing that we didn't actually have next door neighbors at that point, because they might have gotten concerned. I had never screamed so loud from pleasure in my life. In fact, my throat was a little scratchy this morning.

I was debating whether or not to wake Edward up about his brother, when my bedroom door flew open and banged into the wall. Edward woke with a start, and the screeching started.

"Bella!" Alice yelled loudly, before really looking into the room. "We're here! Get up and come play with us! Do you have the towel? We should set it up at the—" Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, and she was struck dumb for a moment.

"Morning, Alice," I rasped.

Edward yawned next to me, and I could feel the slight tension in his body.

"Is that? What ha-happened? Oh, my God!" she stuttered out.

Jasper appeared in the doorway, and I did my best to make sure that I was decent.

"Edward! Good to see you, man!" Jasper strode over to the bed and shook the hand Edward was offering.

"You, too, Jas! It's been too long," Edward responded.

Alice continued to gape and stare at us like we were the strangest thing she had ever seen. Finally, she shook her head. "Well, hell. I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn't expect to totally miss out on it."

"Knew what, Alice?" I asked.

"You two. I saw it years ago. Glad you finally figured it out. Now get up and make breakfast. You know I can't cook, and I'm starving!" she demanded. Alice pushed Jasper out of our doorway and shut the door behind her.

Edward looked over at me and raised his eyebrows. "Is she always like that?" he mouthed.

"Pretty much," I mouthed back. I leaned in and kissed him, before hopping out of bed and throwing on some shorts and one of his T-shirts. Alice was right. I didn't want her cooking breakfast and burning down both of our condos.

Edward joined me in the kitchen and cut up some fruit to go with the bacon and eggs I made. Alice had set the table and was eagerly waiting for her food.

"So, why are you two here so early? I thought you weren't coming until later today," I said.

"I just said we were coming today. I didn't say what time. Besides, it's after ten. You must have had a late night to be sleeping in today," she insinuated.

"Swimming really takes the energy out of you, doesn't it, Edward?" I hinted.

"Sure does," he agreed, still staring intently at her face.

No one bought it, though, and soon, we were all chuckling and telling awkward morning after stories. Alice and Jasper cleaned up the dishes, and Edward and I changed for the pool. He ran next door on our way over to leave a note for Emmett and met me by what we had dubbed our chair.

We swam lazily for a while, and then Jasper and Edward took up a game of pool basketball. Alice took the time to quiz me about our relationship. I tried to spare her the details, but she wouldn't let me.

"Then old Mrs. Crabtree made him propose in the pool! It was insane!" I recounted.

"He proposed to you?" she asked, shocked.

I nodded.

"Did you get a ring?"

"No!" I slapped her arm and rolled my eyes.

I caught Edward and Jasper sneaking up on us as I did so and turned to push Edward under water. I missed, though, and ended up right in his arms. He pulled me towards him and kissed me deeply.

Alice and Jasper just stared at us like we were little green men, so I splashed them. We were in a full out war, and water was flying everywhere. That must have been why we didn't hear the roar until it was too late. Water crashed over us, and waves rocked the pool. I tried to grab onto Edward, but he was pulled under, so I struggled over to the side.

Edward was grappling with someone, and I was starting to get concerned, until I recognized the dark brown curly hair that broke the water.

"Emmett, you oaf!" I cried, swimming right over to him.

"Bella-Schmella!" he called. His giant arms scooped me up and dumped me unceremoniously back into the water.

I rocketed back to the surface and climbed onto his back like a monkey. He tried to shake me off, but he couldn't do it. I just giggled, and finally, he submerged himself to get me off.

"You sacrificed! I'll take it as a win!" I crowed when we both came back up.

Edward had crawled out of the pool and was sitting with a beautiful blond woman. She could have passed for a runway model, but her bust line was a little too full. A pang of jealousy shot through me as I watched their easy interaction.

"Are they always like this?" she asked.

"Since we were kids, yeah," he acknowledged. He motioned me closer, and I swam over slowly. "Bella, this is Rosalie, Emmett's better half. Rose, this is my Bella."

I blushed at the introduction, but stuck out my hand. She smiled shyly and shook it. My anxiety disappeared as soon as her eyes shifted to Emmett. When she looked at him, it was clear there was no one else in her world.

For the rest of the afternoon, we goofed around in the pool together. Emmett wanted to know what the story was, so I let Edward fill him in. I'd had to give the explanations to Alice after all. Rosalie was really nice, but quite shy. She did something with graphic design and seemed like she would be more comfortable with a computer than another person. She braved it, though, and hung out with Alice and me while the guys rough-housed.

Dinner was a lively affair. Edward and I had been so used to being in our own little bubble that the intrusion of our siblings was quite a shock to both of us. After dinner, Emmett invited us over to play on his Wii. After losing a lot of lives in Super Mario Brothers, we called it a night, and we all got up to leave.

"Hey, bro, you wanna play some more? I brought Madden," Emmett said to Edward.

"Nah, I'm going to bed. Mom and Dad are supposed to call me from Atlanta so I can pick them up in Savannah. Since you brought the Jeep, you wanna come with? I'll come find you," Edward offered.

Emmett shook his head. "I think we'll hang out here. Wait. Find me? Where are you going to be?" he asked obtusely.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and shook her head. She smiled at me and waved me on to drag Edward out the door.

"Come on, honey," she said sweetly. "Let's get ready for bed."

"Just a sec. Where are you going, dude?" he asked again.

Edward sighed. "I'm going next door. I'll see you tomorrow."

"HOLY SHIT!" Emmett shouted. "Really? I mean, I saw you all kissing earlier, but that, too? Damn, dude, it's about time!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I asked, exasperated.

"Because, love, apparently we are both blind." He turned to Emmett. "Now, we are going to bed. Good night."

Edward and I rose early the next morning so that we would be ready to go whenever his parents called. I was a little nervous about seeing them again, not as the girl next door, but as their son's . . . fiancée? That sounded weird, even to me. Edward seemed a little uptight, too, and I wondered if he was worried about his parents' reaction.

They called shortly after ten, and we drove straight to Savannah. Luckily, the traffic wasn't bad, and we found the airport easily. Edward parked and towed me behind him to the baggage claim area. It was really the only place to meet passengers since security had tightened. Edward clasped me tightly to his side and tapped his foot against the floor impatiently.

It wasn't long before I saw the familiar bright blond hair of Carlisle Cullen and the reddish tresses of Esme Cullen. Edward hugged me tighter and waited for them to make their way over to us. Esme shouted Edward's name, and she struggled towards us faster. I saw Carlisle raise his eyebrow at Edward, and then grin widely.

"Hey, honey!" Esme gushed. "Thank you for picking us up!" Edward released me enough to give his mom a warm hug, and then she turned to me. "Bella! I am so glad to see you."

She hugged me like she always did, and Carlisle shook my hand. His eyes were still on Edward, and they seemed to be having some sort of silent conversation. Esme shook her head and dragged me toward the baggage area, where their luggage was coming around the belt.

"I don't know what is going on with them. Carlisle's been acting weird for a couple of days. They had some sort of discussion the other night, and they must have argued. Let's let them work it out," Esme advised me.

I shrugged and started pulling off the luggage that Esme was indicating. Edward rushed over and grabbed them from my hands, effectively ending my usefulness. He scrunched his eyebrows at me in a clear look of disapproval and frustration. I just rolled my eyes and went back to stand beside Esme.

Edward fumbled with his dad's bag and handed it over to him. He made his way back to my side and leaned over near my ear. "Keep in mind that you've already agreed to this and don't ruin it for me, okay?"

"What are you doing?" I asked warily.

Edward sank to one knee in front of me. "Isabella Swan, will you please do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Edward," I hissed. "What are you . . .?"

He looked up at me pleadingly, and I smiled at his expression. "Again, yes," I whispered.

He opened the box in his hand, and there sat a beautiful ring. There was one larger diamond in the center, and it was surrounded by smaller diamond chips in white gold filigree. My hand instinctively went to my mouth, which had opened in surprise.

When I didn't say anything, he stood and took my hand. "If you don't like it, we can get something else. It's just that my grandmother passed this on to me, and . . ."

I shushed him and reached a shaking hand out for the box. His hands were quicker than mine, and he plucked the ring from its velvet bed and slid it onto my finger.

"Edward, it's beautiful," I breathed. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I blinked them back.

He tilted my head up and kissed me sweetly. Someone beside us cleared their throat, and the rest of the world suddenly intruded into our private bubble. Again.

Carlisle was grinning at us, and Esme was just staring, her face blank, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. A bewildered smile tugged at the corners of her lips, though. It occurred to me that Carlisle suspected something, as he must have brought the ring with him.

Without a word from either of his parents, Edward led the way to the car. Once we got into the car and on the road, Esme broke the silence. She asked hesitantly how we had gotten together. Edward gave her the short and sweet version, which included Mrs. Crabtree, but did not include the fantastic sex. For that, I was thankful. He also confessed that as soon as he saw me again, he knew that he had been waiting for me all of these years. They congratulated us both and smiled sweetly at us from the back seat.

Carlisle and Esme insisted on making us a celebratory dinner in honor of our engagement, and when we arrived back at the condo, we discovered that we had a second reason to celebrate. Jasper had finally proposed to Alice, and she was giddy with excitement. After our steak dinner, we all discussed our plans for the future. Alice and Jasper were staying in Chicago for awhile, as both of them had established jobs there. Everyone was surprised to find that Fate had put Edward and me in the same city. Emmett and Rosalie had only been dating a short time, but were also staying in Chicago near their families.

**EPOV**

Emmett, Rosalie, Dad, and Mom walked back next door, and Bella and I settled in for the night. Jasper and Alice went on a beach walk, so we were really alone for the first time in two days.

Bella and I were finally in bed, and she was snuggled into my side. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to tell Bella what had been on my mind all day. "Bella," I said slowly. "Thank you for saying yes. I, I love you. And I think I've loved you since I was nine years old."

Her eyes met mine, and they were bright. "I love you, too," she whispered back.

With that one sentence, all of my worries and fears disappeared. I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. Her tongue immediately tangled with mine, and her hips pressed against me. Of course, I was already rock hard, and she moaned as she felt my length on her thigh. Before I could process that her mouth had left mine, she was kissing down my body and removing my boxers deftly. Her warm mouth engulfed my dick, and she took me as deeply into her throat as her body would allow. What was left over, she wrapped her hand around and squeezed gently. I groaned and laced my hands into her hair. I tugged slightly, and she looked up at me with as much of a smirk as she could manage with her mouth full. Seeing her like that enthralled me, and I tried to warn her that I wasn't going to last, but she shoved me deeper and sucked hard. I exploded into her mouth with a loud moan and tugged again on her hair.

She moaned as well and released me with still hooded eyes. I tugged on her shoulders and pulled her up to me. She tried to lie down next to me, but I shook my head and grabbed her hips. I positioned her over my face and delved into the heaven between her legs. I licked and sucked, stroking her inside and out with my tongue. Bella moaned and writhed over me, her sounds echoing off the walls. In no time at all, her thighs gripped my head, and she let out a strangled groan.

After I lapped up all of her juices, she collapsed next me, and I held her tightly. She giggled and snuggled deeper into my embrace.

"Do you think it will always be like this?"

"Nah. At some point, we'll be eighty years old and barely able to walk, much less get into complicated sexual positions. I'll keep trying, though," I answered with a laugh.

She was quiet for a bit, and I thought she had fallen asleep. I adjusted slightly, getting a little more comfortable, when Bella spoke again.

"Uh, when you move to Seattle, do you think that maybe instead . . . well, wouldn't it make more sense for you to just, uh, well, livewithme?"

I smiled. "Why, Bella, did you just ask me move in with you?"

"Yes," she said shyly.

"Oh, I like that idea," I whispered back, capturing her lips with a kiss. It quickly turned passionate, and I lost no time in making love to her.

The next day, the six of us "kids" went down to The Art Café in Coligny Plaza to paint pottery. It was overcast and rainy, so it was the ideal time for indoor activities. After we turned in our pieces, we all walked around the center and went into all of the little shops. We boys had far too much fun in the toy store, and Rosalie, Alice, and Bella had to drag us away. Mom and Dad met us at The Big Bamboo for dinner, and we spent the remainder of the evening listening to the live music in the bar.

The next day, we all went to the beach together, and I had to admit that it was a lot of fun playing in the surf again with Emmett and Jasper. Dad read some medical journal, and the four women sunbathed. Eventually, Alice decided she wanted to make a sandcastle. All the girls got really into it, and the thing was huge when they finished. It had been a lot of years since I had seen Bella so carefree, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at the sight of it. She was so incredibly beautiful, and she was all mine.

I ran across the sand and scooped her into my arms. With her squeals assaulting my ears, I ran into the water and tossed her into the waves.

"You little shit!" she cried, lunging at me as she stood up.

I lost my footing and slid into the surf. She laughed and dumped handfuls of sand into my hair. We wrestled in the tide until we were both covered in sand and shells and were a mess in general. Luckily, there was a shower on the boardwalk, so I didn't have to deal with the chafing in areas that should never know sand.

That night, Bella and I talked late into the evening and started making plans for our future. When everyone else woke the next morning, our cars were packed, and we were ready to leave.

"What do you mean 'leaving?' We just got here, and we're supposed to be here for another week!" my mother cried.

"We have some moving to do and wanted to get started while we have the chance," I explained. "I have to start my residency in three weeks."

Alice just smiled knowingly at me, and Emmett and Rosalie promised to come visit as soon as we got settled.

As we walked out the door and got into our respective cars, I stopped and looked around. The best parts of my life had happened here in this sleepy little resort, and now, I was leaving to start the rest of my life with the best thing that had ever happened to me.

I couldn't wait.

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